The Duchess Of Malfi - Plot Flashcards
1
Q
Act 1 scene 1
A
- Play begins at the Duchess’ palace in Amalfi
- Antonio has just returned from the French court
- Delio asks what Antonio thought about France
- Antonio says the French king rules well
- The king is also surrounded by council who are unafraid to speak their minds.
- Antonio changes the subject as he sees Bosola entering
- Antonio describes Bosola as a man who speaks against the court
- The Cardinal enters
- Bosola tries to talk to the Cardinal, but the Cardinal is dismissive.
- Bosola believes he deserves better treatment, as he was formerly employed by the Cardinal
- The Cardinal dismisses Bosola and exits, and then Antonio and Delio approach.
- Antonio asks Bosola what happened in the conversation
- Bosola replies that the Cardinal and Ferdinand are like plum trees rich with fruit, but only fed on by crows, magpies, and caterpillars.
- He says that he hopes to advance his social status, and then leave.
- Once Antonio and Delio are alone, Delio explains that Bosola served 7 years in the galleys for a “notorious murder,” supposedly ordered by the Cardinal.
- Antonio says that it’s unfortunate that the Cardinal is ignoring Bosola
- Bosola’s bad mood, Antonio says, will poison all of Bosola’s goodness
2
Q
Act 1 scene 2
A
- The Cardinal and Duchess enter after Ferdinand and his courtiers converse about war etc.
- Antonio steps aside and begins telling Delio about the character of the royal family
- Antonio and Delio leave.
- Ferdinand tells the Duchess that he wants her to hire Bosola as the supervisor of her horses
- She agrees
- Everyone exits but the Cardinal and Ferdinand.
- Once alone, the Cardinal tells Ferdinand to hire Bosola as a spy to observe the Duchess.
- The Cardinal sees Bosola coming and exits.
- Ferdinand gives Bosola some money, leading Bosola to ask who he must kill.
- But Ferdinand tells Bosola that he’s overeager, and instead, he is being paid to observe the Duchess and report back to Ferdinand.
- Ferdinand explains that the Duchess is a young widow, and the brothers do not want her to marry again.
- He agrees to be Ferdinand’s “creature” and then exits.
3
Q
Act 1 scene 3
A
- The Cardinal, the Duchess, and enter and join Ferdinand.
- The Cardinal informs the Duchess that they are leaving
- The Cardinal and Ferdinand begin instructing the Duchess not to remarry.
- The Duchess says that she’ll never marry again, but the Cardinal and Ferdinand continue telling her not to.
- After they conclude their speech, the Cardinal departs.
- The Duchess then comments to Ferdinand that the speech was so glib that it seems like they rehearsed it.
- He calls her a “lusty widow” and then exits.
- When alone with Cariola, the Duchess asks if this speech should convince her to obey her brothers
- Antonio enters, and they start flirting
- She laments that those who are born great are forced to woo because no one dares to woo them,
- She cries out for him and says that she’s a young widow hoping to claim him for her husband.
- Antonio agrees, and the Duchess pays him with a kiss.
- Antonio is worried about how the Cardinal and Ferdinand will react, but the Duchess reassures him that he should not think of them
- After the Duchess instructs Antonio to kneel, Cariola enters and surprises Antonio, but the Duchess reassures him that Cariola is her trusted counsel.
- They finish their vows and the Duchess asks how the church could possibly make a marriage more quickly
- The newlyweds exit, and Cariola closes the scene by saying that she can’t tell if it’s the spirit of greatness or of woman that’s leading the Duchesss to act this way, but either way it shows madness and deserves pity.
4
Q
Act 2 scene 1
A
- (9 months after the events of Act 1)
- Bosola notes that the Duchess has been sick and wears loose dresses
- He is suspicious, and has a trick: he has brought apricots, which were believed to be labor inducing.
- On the other side of the stage, Delio and Antonio enter into a discussion about the secret marriage
- They meet Bosola
- The Duchess enters. She asks if she is growing fat.
- The Duchess complains that she is suffering from heartburn.
- Bosola offers the Duchess the apricots. In an aside, he notes how greedily she eats them.
- She breaks into a cold sweat, and she heads for her chamber fearing that her pregnancy will be discovered.
- Everyone then exits in a scramble leaving only Antonio and Delio.
- Antonio fears that the Duchess has fallen into labour with no time to get her out of Amalfi in order to keep the pregnancy a secret.
- Delio suggests to keep people away, they can say that Bosola poisoned the apricots
5
Q
Act 2 scene 2
A
- Bosola enters saying that there is no doubt that the Duchess is pregnant.
- Antonio, Delio and others enter.
- Everyone is in chaos while Bosola privately wonders if the apricots were in fact poisoned without his knowledge.
- A servant reveals that a guard had entered the Duchess’s chamber and robbed her.
- In response to this robbery, Antonio says that the Duchess wants each officer to be locked in his chamber. He says that she is very sick.
- After everyone else exits, Delio asks Antonio how the Duchess is doing.
- Antonio responds that she’s experiencing pain and fear, and he sends Delio to Rome.
- Antonio fears he’s in danger
- Delio exits as Cariola enters and informs Antonio that he has had a son. Antonio decides to cast his son’s horoscope right away.
6
Q
Act 2 scene 3
A
- Bosola enters in the dark with a lantern, saying that he has heard shrieking from the Duchess’s room.
- Antonio enters - Having heard a noise, he asks “who’s there?” Bosola responds and he reveals himself.
- Antonio questions why he’s out of his room when all men were ordered to their private lodgings.
- Antonio then questions whether the apricots Bosola gave the Duchess were poisoned.
- Bosola denies the accusation, but Antonio says that some jewels were stolen and that Bosola is the number one suspect.
- The men curse each other, but as they argue Antonio’s nose starts bleeding.
- In an aside, he notes that superstitious people would think that was a bad omen
- Antonio tells Bosola that he is forbidden to go near the Duchess until Bosola is able to clear his name, and then Antonio exits.
- Bosola notices that Antonio dropped a piece of paper, which he finds written the horoscope
- He decides to have Castruccio send the horoscope to Ferdinand and the Cardinal.
7
Q
Act 2 scene 4
A
- This scene takes place in Rome and begins with the Cardinal and Julia entering.
- She worries that the Cardinal will be false to her, but he tells her not to torture herself with such fears
- Someone knocks at the door. He then exits so as not to be found out in his affair.
- A servant enters to announce that someone has come to see Julia, and that Castruccio is now in Rome.
- Delio then enters
- They flirt
- Then the servant reenters and says that Castruccio has come with a letter to Ferdinand that put him out of his wits.
- Julia says that she’ll go to see her husband, and she leaves.
- Alone on stage, Delio says that he fears that Antonio’s secret has been found out, and he laments the situation.
8
Q
Act 2 scene 5
A
- Ferdinand and the Cardinal enter with the letter.
- Ferdinand says he is growing mad and he shows the Cardinal the letter
- The Cardinal wonders who the father of the Duchess’s child might be
- He says that he’ll have the Duchess cut to pieces
- Ferdinand asks his brother to talk to him before his imagination leads him to see her in the act of sin.
- The Cardinal says that this rage is too loud, and that it’s making him beastly.
- Ferdinand, still overcome with rage, promises such a horrible vengeance against the Duchess that the Cardinal threatens to leave.
- But Ferdinand says that he’ll calm down, and that, until he knows who is sleeping with the Duchess, he’ll do nothing.
9
Q
Act 3 scene 1
A
- In Amalfi, some years later, Antonio greets Delio
- He and the Duchess have had two more children.
- Delio asks if this news has reached the Cardinal, and Antonio responds that he fears it has, as Ferdinand has been acting strangely.
- Ferdinand, the Duchess, and Bosola enter, and Ferdinand says that he’s going to bed.
- He suggests to the Duchess that she marry Count Malateste, but she says that he’s insufficient
- The Duke tries to talk to Antonio, but the Duchess cuts him off, telling him that she wants to talk about the rumours that have been circulating about her
- Ferdinand says he doesn’t want to hear it, but he assures her that even if the rumors were true, he would forgive her.
- She gives an aside of relief and then exits with Antonio and Delio.
- Now alone, Ferdinand asks Bosola what new information he has.
- Bosola says that it’s rumoured that the Duchess has had three children, but it’s unknown who the father is.
- Ferdinand asks for a key to the Duchess’s bedchamber.
10
Q
Act 3 scene 2
A
- In the Duchess’s bedchamber, the Duchess warns Antonio that he cannot stay with her tonight.
- Antonio and Cariola then depart for a few moments.
- Ferdinand enters behind her. She turns to see him, terrified
- Ferdinand tells her to die and hands her a knife
- He tells her she is moving past all boundaries of shame, but she interrupts to explain that she is married.
- Ferdinand proceeds to curse the Duchess
- Ferdinand accuses the Duchess of disrespecting her dead first husband.
- The Duchess responds that Ferdinand is being too strict, since as a married woman her reputation is safe.
- Ferdinand leaves, and immediately afterwards Antonio reenters with a pistol and with Cariola.
- Antonio says that he saw Ferdinand (hence the pistol), and, wondering how Ferdinand got to the Duchess’s chamber
- Bosola knocks, and Antonio leaves again
- Bosola enters and says that Ferdinand has rushed off to Rome.
- Bosola asks what has happened.
- The Duchess makes up a lie: that Antonio has used his position to steal from her and in doing so has placed Ferdinand in a position with Neapolitan moneylenders.
- Bosola exits.
- When Antonio re-enters, the Duchess tells him that he must leave and go to Ancona
- She lets him know that she will accuse him of a fake crime.
- Bosola reenters with some officers and the Duchess pretends to accuse Antonio of stealing from her.
- She tells the men to let Antonio go, since she wants to fire him but doesn’t want the information to get out. Antonio exits
- After Bosola’s lengthy praise of Antonio, the Duchess bursts out that Antonio is her husband.
- When he finds out he launches into a speech praising her
- The Duchess then tells Bosola to take her money and follow Antonio to Ancona, where she hopes to follow in a few days by faking a pilgrimage.
- After the ladies exit, Bosola is left alone to lament that he is a spy. At least his status will be improved after he reports this information.
11
Q
Act 3 scene 3
A
- In Rome, the Cardinal and a courtier named Malateste talk
- on the other side of the stage, Ferdinand, Delio, and others discuss Malateste
- Bosola enters and whispers to the Cardinal and Ferdinand
- Focus shifts to the conversation between Ferdinand, the Cardinal, and Bosola. The Cardinal says that the Duchess is using religion as her cover to flee with her children and Antonio
- The Cardinal says he’ll get the state of Ancona to banish the Duchess and her family
- He curses Antonio before the scene ends.
12
Q
Act 3 scene 4
A
- This scene takes place at a shrine to which the Duchess fled under the pretense of a pilgrimage.
- After the pilgrims say they expect the ceremony to be excellent, the play breaks into dumb show, meaning that the actors silently act out a scene while music plays in the background.
- During the dumb show, the Cardinal is dressed and presented as a soldier.
- Then Antonio, the Duchess, and their children all pray and present themselves at the shrine.
- The Cardinal removes the Duchess’s wedding ring and formally banishes her and her family from Ancona.
- After the dumb show, the Pilgrims wonder why the Cardinal is being so cruel to the Duchess.
- They believe that the Pope has interceded at the command of the Cardinal, which they think is unjust
- The pilgrims suggest that the injustice that befalls a person is punishment for their own misdeeds.
13
Q
Act 3 scene 5
A
- Near the shrine, Antonio, the Duchess, their children, Cariola have been banished from Ancona.
- Bosola enters with a letter from Ferdinand
- Though the letter asks for a meeting with Antonio, the Duchess and Antonio assume that Ferdinand actually wants Antonio dead.
- Antonio refuses the invitation; he will not see the Duke and the Cardinal until he’s certain that they will not harm him.
- Bosola exits
- She tells Antonio to take their eldest son to Milan
- As soon as Antonio leaves, the Duchess finds herself facing a disguised Bosola and several troops.
- Bosola says that she is not to see her husband anymore
- Though Bosola claims that her brothers want to keep her safe, she does not trust them.
- She agrees to go with Bosola (though she doesn’t really have a choice).
14
Q
Act 4 scene 1
A
- In Amalfi, Ferdinand asks Bosola how the Duchess is bearing herself during her imprisonment.
- Bosola responds that she is doing it so nobly - seems to pity her.
- Ferdinand expresses frustration since he is not making her more miserable. Ferdinand exits.
- The Duchess enters, and Bosola says Ferdinand is going to visit her, but he’ll come at night.
- When he visits, he’ll kiss her hand and they will reconcile.
- The two of them put out the lights, and Ferdinand enters.
- The Duchess asks for his pardon, and he says that he grants it
- Then he puts a hand into hers.
- She kisses it, thinking the hand is Ferdinand’s, but says his hand is cold.
- Ferdinand then asks for the lights to come on, but quickly exits before they come on.
- In the light, the Duchess sees that she has been holding a dead man’s hand.
- A curtain is illuminated, which appear the silhouettes of Antonio and their children, as if they were dead.
- Bosola says that the hand is Antonio’s, that her family are all dead
- The Duchess asks to be tied to the dead body so she can freeze to death.
- She concludes by saying that it would be a mercy to die quickly.
- The Duchess then leaves the room (though probably not the palace, as she’s imprisoned), and Ferdinand reenters, excited that she finally seems to be experiencing despair.
- He outlines a plan to bring madmen and lodge them next to the Duchess.
- The plan is that their mad howling will torture her by preventing her from sleeping.
- Bosola says that he will only ever visit her in disguise.
- Ferdinand responds that Bosola’s pity doesn’t suit him well, and then begins to plan his revenge on Antonio, who he knows is in Milan.
15
Q
Act 4 scene 2
A
- In the Amalfi palace, the Duchess and Cariola hear a horrible noise offstage.
- Cariola says that it’s the madmen
- The madmen enter, sing a song, take turns speaking nonsense, and do a dance.
- Then Bosola enters, disguised as an old man, and the madmen and the servant exit.
- Bosola says that he has come to make the Duchess’s tomb.
- At this point, the Duchess proclaims that she is still the Duchess of Malfi.
- Bosola tells the Duchess that she is going to die.
- Cariola starts yelling for help
- The executioners then strangle the duchess.
- Cariola is brought by other executioners back into the room, and she begins begging for her life, but they strangle her anyway and exit with her body.
- Ferdinand enters and asks if the Duchess is dead, to which Bosola responds that she is.
- Bosola says he is angry at himself for serving the Duke
- Bosola reflects that if he had the opportunity to do everything again, he wouldn’t do it
- He then notices that the Duchess is stirring
- For a moment, she wakes up and says “Antonio?” Bosola tells her that her husband is alive, explaining briefly that the dead bodies she saw were tricks.
- The Duchess cries “mercy” and then dies for real.
- Bosola cries over her death
- He decides to carry out her last will by bringing her body to the women like she requested. Afterwards, he says, he’ll head to Milan.
